Brooder



17,1929. J. D. `HUGGINS BROODER Filed April 11. 192s y 2 sheets-sheet 1 Dc. 17, 1929. .1. D. HUGGINS BRooDER.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 1l. 1928 ya J7 23 Patented Dec.. 17, 1929 Uhl-ETE@ STATES Mendel? JAMES I). HUGGNS, OF BOLNG SPRINGS, NORTH CAROLINA BROODER Application filed April 11,

lThis invention relates to improvements in brooders, one object of the invention being the provision of a portable and sectional brooder whereby there'is combined a means for delivering fresh air to be heated for delivery into the brooding chamber and for circulation therewithin, combined with auxiliary heatinglmeans for utilizing the direct products of combustion for the heat so that the proper amount of heated pure air will be distributed throughthe brooding chamber at all times without creating objectionable drafts.

A` further object of this invention is the provision of a brooder of this type in which there is also provided thermostatic means for controlling the temperature of the atmosphere Within the brooding chamber.

Still another object of this invention is the provision of Va brooding chambercomprising a plurality of vertically adjustable sections whereby the height of the brooding chamber may be adjusted in 'accordance with the growth of the chicks during the brooding period.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a top plan view of the com plete brooder;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 2-2 Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a cross-section;

Figure 4: is an enlarged detail fragmental perspective view showing the chick outlet ofthe brooding chamber;

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view of the burner tube anda wick-carrying member; and

Figure 6 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section of another type of wick support.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 6 designates the foundation or base which is provided1 with the upstanding walls 'l' to, in turn, provide the air-admitting chamber 8. This construction may be made of concrete, masonry, or, where so desired, may be made of composition material to provide the necessary support for the remaining elements of the oresent brooder. 1 y treating; into and throug'liiwall is'the 1928. Serial N0. 259,236.

freshair-admitting opening 9, provided with a doorv or damper 9. Supported transversely of and upon the upper inner portions of the walls 7 and in spaced relation to each other are a plurality of hollow metal members or chambers 10, 11 and 12,here shown as three,` but which may be of any number according to the size of the broeder desired. Each member is constructed similarly and is removably fitted in the open upper end of the chamber S, so that vthe same may be removed for repair and cleaning. The adjacent ends of the members 10, 11 and-12 are spaced apart and are provided with upstanding rims .14, thus forming passage 13 `for the passage of heated air from the chamber 8 to the brooding chamber, as will presently appear.

A fuel supply pipe 15, having one end connected to a supply tank 16 located eXteriorly of the chamber 8, extends through an end wall of said chamber longitudinally of said chamber and serves to furnish fuel to the respective burners or heaters 17, there being shown two of'such heaters to each one of the respective chambers 10, 11 or 12.

As the respective heaters are identical in construction, the description of one will suftice for all, and, as clearly illustrated in section at the right end of Figure 2, there is 'l provided for each heater a burner tube 18 which is connected directly by bra-Zing or by a eouplingto the pipe 15 at any desired point and extends upwardly into the lower end of the innermost of three concentrically arranged spaced cylinders 24, 25 and 26, which depend from one of the heating chambers. A wick carrying member 19 (shown in detail in Fig. 5) is made from a single sheet of metal and formed with wick-clamping'members 2O and 21 and an apertured bottom dise 22, which latter catches and holds `any of the burnt or charred wiel; that may fall into the tube. lThe aperture in the disk 22 permits free access of the oil to the wick; ln order to' permit'the removal of the wick-carrying `member 19, an integral handle 23 isformed thereon and is projected above the outer end of the tube,V asilhistrated in .5,

The cool fresh air which is admitted through the opening 9 into the chamber 8 follows the lines of the arrows, as illustrated in Figure 2, and passes into the annularspace betweenvthe cylinders 24 and 25 and out'of the outlet openings 27 at the upper ends of the cylinders 24, through the passages 13 between the chambers 10, 11 and 12 into the lower section 32 of the brood chamber, as will presently appear. Other air is directed into the spaces 28 between the cylinders 25 and 26, and finally, through the openings 29 into the respective chambers 10, 11 or 12. The products of combustion from the burners 18 pass out ofropenings 30 in the upper ends of the cylinders 26 into the spaces 28 between the cylinders 25 and 26 and thence through the openings 29 into the chambers 10, 11 and 12 from which they are exhausted through the Hues 31.

The lower section 32 Vot the brooding compartment of the present apparatus is adapted to detachably lit upon the upper edge of the wall 7 and over the respective heating members, 10, 11 and 12 and has transversely disposed hoods 33 projecting upwardly from its bottom, here shown as two in number, to fit above the passages 13 between the heating members 10, 11 and 12. The hoods 33 have lateral openings 34 to direct the heated fresh and pure air in opposite directions, as indicated by the arrows, into the brooding chamber. The upstanding walls 35 and 36 of the section 32 telescope within but are slightly spaced from the walls 39 of the upper removable member 3.8 to provide a space a between said walls for admitting fresh air directly to y the brooding compartment for Ventilating purposes. The top 40 of the member 38 is composed of cross-bars to support sheets 41 and 42 of the type of flexible glassnow employed to permit the ultra-violet rays to pass into the brooding chamber. p

ln order to adjust the vertical height of .the brooding chamber' and thus accommodate the device to the growth of the chicks during the brooding period, pins 43 are provided which removably fit any of a vertical row of openings in the walls 35 and 36 of the lower section 32 of the brooding chamber, thus pro viding a holding means to either engage the lower edges of the walls of the upper section 38 or enter one of the series of openings 44 in the latter walls to regulate, as before stated, the relative vertical positions between the two sections, there being a sur'licient number of these openings and pins around the two sections to provide the necessary rigid support for the same.

Where it is desired that the chicks have proper ingress and egress to and from the `brooding chamber in favorable weather, an

opening 37 is providedin one wall of the section 32, while a complemental opening 45 is provided in the section 38, as clearly illustrated in Figure 4, a split fabric curtain 46 being provided to close the opening against undue drafts and yet at the same time permit the chicks free movement through said openings.

In order to control the temperature of the heated air within the brooding chamber, a thermostat 47 of any desired type is supported in a frame 48 depending from the'top ofthe section 38 and is connected through the rod and the adjusting nut 50 to the lever 51, the lever 51 boing pivoted upon its fulcrum 52 above the brooding chamber and provided with the adjustable counter-balancing weight 53 at one end and a damper 54 at the opposite end for controlling the outlet 55 of the brooding chamber. Thus, by adjusting the nut 50 on the rod 49 the action of the thermostat 4'?, as regards damper 54, may be regulated to an exactness that will maintain the desired temperature within the brooding chamber.

The modilied form of wick holder 19 shown. in Fig. 6 is made of one strand of wire having its lower end bent into a flat spring coil 20 to fit snugly and resiliently in the tube 18, for supporting the cylindrical wick 1N. In this instance, the coil20 also acts as a catcher for the burnt or charred por-v tions of the wick, while the upper end of the rod 21 extends above the wick to facilitate the insertion of the wick into and its removal from the tube 18.

F rom the foregoing description, considered in connection with the drawings, it is evident that a broeder constructed according to and embodying this invention, may be composed of any number of sections, that any number of heating members suoli as 10 may be employed, and that a combination ofthe f brooding elements may be arranged in longitudinal or transverse order with a single fuelsupplying means, it being preferable to use two heaters to each of the respective heatsupplying members. lt is also evident that with this arrangement, fresh air is properly heated and is directed into the brooding chamber without coming in direct contact with the products of combustion, and the products of combustion are utilized by passing through the respective heat-ing members and out of the Hue 31 to assist in heating the air within the chamber 8 and also in the brooding chamber above, the thermostatic valve controlling the temperature within 'the brooding chamber, while the spaces a between the two sections 32 and 38 permit the proper circulationand ventilation of the air withinV the brooding chamber so as to maintain the air pure and fresh.

Means for humidifying the air may be placed within either chamber' so that the air in the brooding chamber. will, at all, times, be fresh and pure.

lil

I claim l. A broeder including a base provided with a fresh air supplying chamber, a heater located therein and surrounded thereby, a hollow heat distributing member removably mounted on the upper end ot said chamber to receive heated air trom said heater, said heat distributing member forming a space at one ot its ends to permit the passage of heated air upwardly from said fresh air supplying chamber, a covering member disposed above said heat distributing member and forming a brooding chamber thereabovc, said covering member having a bottom provided with an opening aligning with said space to permit the entrance of the heated fresh air thereto, and ailue extending' from the heat distributing member through the covering member.

2. A broeder including a base provided with a tresh air supplying chamber open at its upper end, a plurality ot hollow heat distributing members, mounted in the open upper end ot said chamber, each ot said members having an outlet flue, said members being spaced from each other to provide heated air directing spaces therebetween, a plurality ot heaters in said fresh air supplying chamber for supplying heated air to said heat distributing members and to said spaces simultane ously, the products ot combustion trom said heaters being directed into and through said. members, and a covering member disposed above the said heat distributing` members and forming a brooding chamber thereabove and into which the heated i'resh air is fed, said covering member comprising a lower part having an upstanding surrounding flange and an upper member having a depending flange telescoping the upstanding flange ot the lower member and forming with the latter a space tor admission of fresh air.

3. A broeder including a base provided with a `tresh air supplying chamber open at its upper end, a plurality of hollow heat distributing members seated in the open upper end ot said chamber and each provided with an outlet iiue, said members being spaced from each other to provide heated air directing passages therebetween, a plurality ot burners in said fresh air supplying chamber ifor supplying heated air to said members and to said passages simultaneously, the products oic combustion from said burners being directed into and through said members, and a. pair of vertically adjustable telescoping members disposed above the said heat distributing members and forming a brooding chamber to receive heated air trom said air supplying chamber through said heated air directing passages.

4. A. broeder including a base provided with a fresh air supplying chamber, a plurality of heaters located therein, a plurality of hollow heat distributing members in the upper end of said chamber and each provided with an outlet flue, said members being spaced from each other to provide heated air directing passages therebetween, said heaters supplying heated air to said members and to said passages simultaneously, the products of combustion :trom said heaters being directed into and through said members, and a. covering member disposed above the said heat-distributing members and forming a brooding chamber into which the heated fresh air is ted, said covering member comprising a plurality et vertically adjustable sections whereby the height of said brooding chamber may be increased.

5. A broeder including a supporting member having a cavity opening through the upper end thereof, a plurality of transversely disposed and spaced hollow chambers mounted in the upper end of said Cavity, said cavity being provided with an air inlet port, a fuel supplying means disposed longitudinally of the cavity, a plurality ot burners carried by said fuel supplying means and projected upwardly toward the respective chambers, aV plurality ot heaters, one to each burner, carried bodily by and depending from said members, a brooding chamber removably tted upon the supporting member above the chambers and into which the heated air from the cavity is directed, and batlies carried by said brooding chamber and fitting respectively over the air-admitting spaces between the chambers.

6. A broeder including a supporting member having a cavity opening through the upper end thereof, a plurality of transversely disposed and spaced hollow chambers mounted in the upper portion of said cavity, said cavity being provided with air inlet ports, heating means in said cavity below said hollow chamber, and a brooding chamber removably iitted upon the supporting member above the chambers, said brooding chamber comprising a lower part and an upper part, said lower part including a bottom having openings aligning with the spaces between the hollow chambers and an upstanding flange and said upper part including a top and a depending flange telescopingl with the liange of the lower part and forming with the latter an air admitting passage.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JAMES D. HUGGINS. 

